On December 18, 2022, Argentina claimed their third World Cup championship after winning a thrilling penalty shootout in the highly intense final against France.
Kylian Mbappe became the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, overshadowing Lionel Messi’s two goals in the match. However, despite the superstar striker’s efforts, which helped France equalize the score at 3-3 after extra time, missed penalty kicks from Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni prevented Les Bleus from clinching back-to-back world titles.
Argentina secures the World Cup title with a dramatic victory over France. Photo: GETTY.
Messi becomes the champion of the 2022 World Cup with Argentina – a perfect ending and a resounding affirmation of El Pulga’s greatness.
Lionel Messi’s remarkable career has truly reached its pinnacle on the legendary night of December 18, 2022, in Lusail, Qatar. Argentina’s captain has finally added the World Cup medal to his extensive collection of titles, which already includes numerous triumphs in the Champions League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Copa Armeria, and Copa del Rey.
Messi has also left a lasting impression on fans. Two goals in a thrilling final, along with a successful penalty shootout, mean that El Pulga did everything possible to bring long-awaited glory to Argentina. He also received the Golden Ball award for being the tournament’s best player.
Does this put an end to the debate of who is the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time)? Probably not. There will always be supporters who favor Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona, or Pele over Messi. However, now that Messi has added the World Cup to his illustrious collection of accolades, many argue that he will not care at all about the endless debate over who is truly the greatest player of all time.
The World Cup trophy marks Lionel Messi’s illustrious career. Photo: GETTY.
But what is most important for Messi is that no one can point out a major championship missing from his career. Now, M10 not only raises it but also leads and inspires Argentina to success, just as Maradona did in Mexico in 1986.
Qatar 2022 is Messi’s tournament. He has scored in every game, except for the win in the group stage against Poland when the superstar born in 1987 was denied a penalty by Wojciech Szczesny.
The beautiful goals against Mexico and Australia, the excellent assists for Nahuel Molina and Julian Alvarez in matches against the Netherlands and Croatia, and in the final against France, he led Argentina to victory by scoring a penalty in the first half and shining in extra time and the fateful penalty shootout.
This is the perfect tournament for Messi in every way. A perfect highlight for an unparalleled career.
Mbappe’s brilliance is not enough for the French national team
Kylian Mbappe has won a World Cup with the French national team and he was close to securing a second championship against Argentina.
Two goals from the “Turtle Ninja” in a span of 97 seconds in the final 10 minutes brought France back to life after trailing 0-2 since the first half, and then the PSG superstar scored a third goal to complete a hat-trick in extra time. But despite Mbappe’s dazzling performance, the French national team still couldn’t become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962.
Mbappe’s brilliance in the 2022 World Cup final was not enough for France to claim victory. In the face of the flu virus attacking the French team during preparation for the match, their ability to come back from being two goals down and take the game to a penalty shootout is an admirable achievement. Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate, Dayot Upamecano, Adrien Rabiot, and Kingsley Coman were unable to train before the final for two days, and Varane, Upamecano, and Rabiot were all in the starting lineup.
The lack of energy was evident for most of the game until Mbappe brought hope with his penalty goal in the 80th minute. Les Bleus played poorly in the first half, to the point where Deschamps had to substitute Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembele before the end of the half, and things didn’t improve in the second half. Even Antoine Griezmann, one of the best players of the tournament, couldn’t keep up with the game and forced Deschamps to replace him with 20 minutes remaining.
A classic final is when the big players come out and make a difference, but France’s top stars remained quiet until Mbappe exploded in the 80th minute. Although he nearly led his team to glory, Mbappe ultimately couldn’t take France all the way. Now, he has achieved an undeniable record by scoring a hat-trick in a World Cup final and has earned the admiration of all.
Argentina’s victory is a triumph for the entire continent, a triumph of history. Argentina ended South America’s 20-year wait for a World Cup title by defeating reigning champions France in Qatar.
Since Brazil won their fifth World Cup in 2002, no South American team has lifted the trophy, but Argentina has now ended Europe’s dominance. With many outstanding players from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Colombia, South America finally has a world champion, which is a great motivation in terms of spirit.
Argentina’s victory at the 2022 World Cup was a historic milestone. The South American fans were the largest group in Qatar last year. This region is known for its passionate football culture, and Messi and his teammates’ accomplishments had a significant impact on Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay officially becoming co-hosts for the 2030 World Cup – marking the tournament’s 100th anniversary.